A Trainer's Journey
by Neoposter
Summary: Ashley is just setting out on her journey into the wider world of pokemon. She aims to be the best there is, but little does she know great forces are at work to turn her into either a savior, or the ultimate weapon... A/U, OCs
1. Chapter 1

"Just go into that room over there and I will make sure that the two of you have some privacy," Oak said as he ushered Ashley and her new pokeball towards a room near the back of the laboratory. His assistants all stopped and stared as the nubile young trainer was rushed past without a stitch of clothing on.

"But what about my clothes?" Ashley protested. She tried to dig in her heels, but the marble floor was smooth and Oak easily pushed her across it.

"It will take my aides some time to get to your house and fetch a new outfit, so there is no reason to wait on them, and I don't want you serving as a distraction for the others." Oak scowled at her. "Young lady, is there any reason why you are being so hesitant?"

"I don't know what to _do_!" Ashley exclaimed. "I've never bonded with a pokemon before! What happens if I screw it up?"

"Ashley," Oak answered, much more patiently as he began to realize the problem, "you can't screw this up. The bonding process is a unique experience between and a trainer and his or her pokemon. Just do what feels right, and everything else will follow on its own accord."

"But-" Ashley tried. Oak gave her a gentle shove, and she stumbled backwards through a door which snapped closed behind her. She whirled around, only to find Oak standing on the other side of the door, making a little 'go on' motion at her through the window. Sure that she had gotten the message, he then pulled a shade down, sealing her off in total privacy. Sighing to herself, she turned around and considered the room. It had been decorated as a fairly typical waiting room, covered in various pictures of people and pokemon working and playing together. Each corner was occupied by a large potted fern, while the area between the plants was filled with comfortable looking furniture.

The pictures were of more interest to her than anything else. One was of a machop helping to construct a building, a steel girder easily five times longer than it was tall easily balanced on one shoulder. Another was of a boy and his slowpoke as they fished in a stream, the boy with a rod and bait, the slowpoke by means of dangling its tail. A pile of magikarp and shellders testified to their combined skill. And of course there was the required battle shot. A woman was mounted on the back of her charizard as the pair dove towards an angry looking electabuzz, bolts of jagged lightning stabbing upwards from its hands to smite the pair of battlers.

Ashely felt herself drawn to the last one, holding up her pokeball so that the creature inside could get a good long look as well. Charmander pressed his face against the inside of the ball as he stared at the painting. "Do you think that might be us some day?" Ashley asked him, sounding a bit wistful.

"Charr…" the pokemon replied in wonder. He stared at his painted cousin until his eyes began to water, breaking off only to link furiously.

"Come on, you," Ashley rdered, turning away from the paining and collapsing on to one of the couches. It was old and faded, but there was still plenty of bounce left to its springs. She sank into the comfortably stuffed cushions and lightly tossed the pokeball on the floor. It opened with a pop, and the charmander immediately reappeared at full size.

"I guess we're going to have to come up with a name for you," Ashley mused as she patted it on the head. "But what?"

"Char, char!" he replied, nuzzling her hand. His flame began to grow as she touched him. She switched to scratching between his ears and it suddenly erupted with a roar. Ashley lurched back against the couch, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"Whoa, I guess you really like that?" she asked as she scooted closer. "Does your tail always flare up like that when you're happy?"

"Mander!"

Ashley smiled. "Then I suppose we best call you Flare. Would you like that?"

"Mander!"

"Well, I suppose that settles that," she announced with a half smile. "But I still don't know how we're supposed to bond, do you?"

"Fla!" Flare exclaimed. He leapt up onto the couch, knocking Ashley over. He climbed up between her legs and lay down on top of her. His skin was warm against hers, but oddly not hot enough to burn. Ashley blushed as her pulse involuntarily quickened at his touch. She was a good girl, always had been, and had never found herself in this position before. It was exicitng though, and she couldn't help herself – she wanted more. She wanted to feel the heat of his skin against hers, the warmth of his breath on her breasts. But with a pokemon? With Flare? Was it really something she could do?

Why not?

She leaned forward and caressed his face. The two of them exchanged a look, Flare cocking his head sideways as they stared into one another's eyes. "Char?"

"I think…" Ashley began before pausing. After this, there would be no going back. Was this the right thing to do? Would she get in trouble? What would people, what would her mother think about this?" "I think this is how we are meant to bond."

She kissed him.

A dozen different things could have happened at that point. She or Flare could have pulled back. Professor Oak could have walked in to separate them. But this was a moment locked in time. It was as close to destiny as anything ever should be.

Flare kissed her back.

She wondered, for a brief moment, why it didn't burn. Then she was lost in the sensations, the slight burnt taste of his breath, the way his hard, rough tongue felt against hers. His hands grasped at her breasts, her nipples tightening as his sharp claws pressed into her soft skin. She could his member pressing into her leg as it emerged from its sheathe, and her heart beat against her ribs with anticipation. Reaching down between them she began to stroke it, amazed at how hot and firm it was. It was incredibly smooth, with the exception of a ring of muscle about a quarter of the way down from the head of his cock.

Flare didn't know much about human mating rituals, but he did know that taste was important to a pokemon. He broke their kiss so that he could run his tongue over her body, starting with gentle flips at her neck. She tasted of fruit and flowers, with a faint trace of salt and something, something delicious. He worked his way lower, strong, slow licks that tugged at her nipples with each stroke.

"Oh, Flare!" Ashley gasped as her spine arched with pleasure, pressing her body tighter into his embrace. She wanted him like nothing before, wanted him to feel the sheer bliss that she was experiencing. It didn't even take a moment's thought to make her decisions. Grabbing him about the waist, she lifted him up so that he was straddling her flat belly, the fire of his tail blazing with a white heat. Flare's cock nestled neatly between her breasts, framed on either side by the brown peaks of her hard nipples. She squeezed her tits together around his warm rod and bent forward to give it a tentative lick.

She approached it carefully, almost hesitantly, entirely unsure of herself. Part of it was fear, of course. How would he taste? Would he burn her? But mostly it was the newness of the experience. She had, of course, seen the pictures and videos any inquisitive teen could find on the internet, so she had at least a theoretical knowledge to work with. Knowing, however, is entirely different from doing.

She licked him.

He tasted slightly salty, but there was a stronger flavor as well, almost like the rich smoke of a campfire. Her tongue slid easily over his smooth skin, and she easily took the first few inches into her mouth until he was uncomfortably close to her throat. There was a slight bump to his cock, just below the tip, where a vein ran along the length. She flicked it teasingly with her tongue, earning a rasping hiss from Flare in response. His hands covered hers as he steadied himself, thrusting his throbbing cock gently between her heaving breasts so that he could get a bit more into her mouth, seeking the source of his pleasure. She played with him like that for several moments, enjoying the feel of his body wriggling above hers. His tail thumped against the couch as he hissed in ecstasy, adding the faint smell of scorched cloth to their mingling sex scents.

Ashley wanted more.

She let him slide out of her mouth and Flare quickly returned between her legs. There would be no going back, they both knew it, but at the same time there would be no hesitation, no regrets. With one movement their bond would be formed, a bond that could never be broken by any outside force. She could feel the heat of him poised at her entrance, the tip of his cock pressing against flesh eager to move aside for his passage. This was more than mere animal lust; this was desire, this was passion, this was love.

Flare thrust.

His cock sank into her up to that thick ring, her vagina closing tight around him. She gasped in pain at the first intrusion, but it was quickly washed away in a tide of felicity. She could feel him trying to squeeze the rest of the way inside of her sex, and she rocked her hips to try and accommodate him. Back and forth they moved against each other, until with an almost excruciating slowness she opened for him, until the entire ring had slipped inside. It lodged against her g-spot and refused to go any further. Flare thrust, trying to go deeper, but it was simply impossible. Instead he rode against her most sensitive spot, obliterating her world in a flash of heat and pleasure. Her body throbbed as her orgasm ripped through her, her hips rocking in time to his crazed thrusts. She felt him shudder inside of her, the sudden shock of his come splashing into her. Four years of pent up sexual frustration let loose all at once, waves of ecstasy crashing over them like the storm tossed tide. Unable to even string together a coherent thought, all she could do was moan and gasp their bodies heaved in time with one another…

In the other room, Oak smiled as he listened to Ashley's happy cries. He knew that he had done a good thing by matching the two of them together. It was time for another exciting adventure to begin…


	2. A First Bloody Battle

Professor Oak knocked gently on the door. "Ashley?" He heard a dull thump and a squeal, followed by the snapping sound of a pokeball closing. There was another thump followed by a muttered curse before Ashley cracked the door open, looking extremely flush.

"Yes, Professor?" she asked as nonchalantly as possible. Oak had to struggle to keep a straight face. The room behind her positively reeked of smoke and sex, and he could see where part of a couch was still smoldering. Maybe giving them three hours had been a bit too much. To make it worse, she still had a bit of semen clinging to the corner of her mouth.

"Um, well, yes," he answered, clearing his throat as an excuse to get control of himself. He would absolutely _not_ allow himself to laugh. At best it would just embarrass her; at worst it would be a crushing blow to her self image. Instead he closed his eyes and held up a hangar loaded with clothes. "I thought you might like to know that my assistant has returned with your clothes."

"Oh, thank you Professor!" Ashley squealed with delight. She threw the door open wide enough for everyone in the room to get a good look at her nubile body, but she failed to appreciate this as she wrapped Oak in a generous hug. His body was just beginning to realize he was be embraced by an entirely too naked teenager when she let go and snatched the clothes away, disappearing back into the waiting room. The door slammed closed behind her, leaving the rest of the lab to stare in shock.

Oak turned around, straightening his coat as he tried to look as dignified as possible. His aides looked at him, then at the door, and back to him, their faces a testament of pure awe and amazement. One by one they began to clap slowly, He glared at them for a minute, entirely unamused by their rection. Yet there was little more he could add other than, "Yes. Well. Back to work, all of you."

Ashley reappeared a moment later, tugging at the clothes she had been given. They had given her a teal blue tank top and a red skirt to wear, but she wasn't sure they had gotten the sizes quite right. The tank top was small enough to be skin tight, and she had been forced to leave her bra off purely for the sake of comfort. It had been designed with a wide U scoop in the front, and it was so revealing that she was worried about moving too quickly, lest her tits fall out for the world to view. The skirt was just as bad. It was a pretty shade of maroon, but it barely made it half way down her thigh before it just…ended. And of course they had forgotten to pick her up any fresh underwear, so she wasn't wearing anything beneath it. It was odd feeling so exposed while so clothed as well. The only comfort she had was the weight of Flare's pokeball resting against her hip. She began to stroke it unconsciously, feeling slightly more relaxed as she reminded herself of his presence.

"Ah, Ashley, there you !" Oak greeted her as she stepped out of the room. He waved her over to the desk he was working at and handed her a piece of paper. "I just got word that a package I've been waiting for has arrived at the Viridian City pokemart. The only problem is that their usual delivery boy is currently out sick."

"Not a problem, Professor," she agreed, taking the paper from him. "Is there anything else I need to know or bring with me?"

"No, that invoice should be all you need," he answered. "I am going to phone ahead and let them know that you are on your way."

Ashley nodded and headed for the door. The aides were strangely quiet as she passed, but it didn't occur to her that they were staring at her. She was nearly skipping by the time she reached the door, and then she was gone, leaving them all to sigh in disappointment.

Outside the sun was high and bright, and for a moment Ashley just stood in the doorway enjoying the feel of the warm rays on her skin. Humming cheerfully to herself she headed for the road up to Viridian City. It wasn't too far from Pallet Town, maybe an hour's walk or so if she didn't push herself, and why would she? There was plenty of time for her to get to Viridian, pick up the Professor's package, maybe look around a little for herself, and still be back home in time for dinner.

The road north was really more of a dirt path. It had been tamped down sometime in the past half year, but there hadn't been much of a push to repave it since the war. They were too far out in the county for the rebuilding effort to have reached so far, and had to rely instead on what little car traffic they got to keep the road in any sort of shape. That was fine with Ashley; her family didn't own a car, so she had long since gotten used to walking everywhere she went. A bike might have been nice, but with the price of metal being so high it was one luxury she was just going to have to do with out.

Her walk was fairly easy going until about halfway down the road. Apparently no one had been by in a while, and the grass had started to grow back over it. She fingered the pokeball at her hip nervously as she considered what to do. _Everyone _knew wild pokemon lived in the tall grass, and they tended to be rather aggressive about protecting their territory. It wasn't uncommon for travelers to arrive in town bleeding and with broken bones from when they had gotten attack, and at least once a year or so a body would be found amidst the tall grass, covered in bite marks where the wild pokemon had been eating it.

She thumbed the button on the pokeball as she ordered, "Flare, come on out!" There was a snapp and hiss as a beam of red light stabbed into the ground, leaving Flare standing there when it vanished. He sniffed the air for a minute, then growled as he stared into the grass.

"I know," she said, patting him on the head. "But we have to go in there if we're going to get to Viridian. Do you think you can be my brave and strong protector?" He rubbed against her leg and purred, a deep rumbling sound in the back of his throat that reminded her of a running engine. She smiled at him and scratched under his chin. "Good boy."

They pressed on, moving cautiously through the field. Every so often they would hear the grass next to them begin to rustle and they would freeze in place, waiting for whatever it was to pass them by. After more than an hour they had only gone about a hundred yards, and she still couldn't see the far side. Suddenly, Flare stopped and growled, the flame on his tail growing hotter by the moment. Something in the grass was moving quickly, and from the way the sounds were growing louder it was headed right for them!

A small bird, about a foot across, leapt out of the grass, hissing madly as it launched towards Flare's face. He roared in challenge and leapt to meet the attack, his roar turning to a scream as its talons carved bloody tracks across his snout. It tumbled backwards as he swiped at it with his claws, narrowly avoiding his blows.

Flare stepped back a step and dropped low, breathing heavy as he tried to make himself as small a target as possible. The pidgey, on the other hand, began to beat its wings against the dirt, shrieking loudly as it tried to appear as intimidating as possible. It tried to leer at him in a menacing way, but he just ignored it. What was supposed to be so terrifying about a two pound ball of feathers? He growled, low in his throat, causing the pidgey to dance back a step, suddenly uncertain of itself.

Gathering up its courage, it charged his face again, but this time he was ready for it. Flare rolled low as the bird went by, raking its belly with his hind claw as it went past. The pidgey shrieked again, this time in pain, and it landed heavily in the dirt behind him. Flare whirled around, unwilling to leave his back exposed to an enemy, and roared again. The pidgey hissed back, and the two began to slowly circle.

Ashley stood frozen as she watched the carnage unfold. She had seen the pokebattles on TV, of course. The yearly challenge at the top of the Indio Plateau was always the single biggest sporting even of the year. And there were always the smaller leagues and tournaments that went on around it. But that was mere play acting compared to what she was seeing now, the difference between a boxing match and a barroom brawl. Both pokemon were bleeding freely, Flare's skin steaming as his blood evaporated from the high temperatures his fire was putting out while the pidgey's chest feathers were slowly changing from dirty what to dark red.

Flare suddenly lunged forward, his claws flashing in front of him as he drove his opponent back and away from his master. The pidgey tried to get out of the way, but it was too small and the blood loss was already beginning to take its toll. An unlucky leap to the left let Flare smash its wing, and it screamed in agony as the hollow bones snapped under his blow. It leapt into the air, crying piteously as it tried to escape, but with only one good wing all it managed to do was corkscrew crazily before crashing hard into the earth. It lay there moaning as Flare advanced steadily. Grabbing it in both claws he sank his teeth into its neck and twisted, ripping out its throat. He let the dead bird drop to the ground and roared his victory, startling several other nearby pidgeys into the air. They flew away as fast they could, calling their warnings to any other pokemon that could hear.

Flare looked down at the dead bird, considering it for a moment before deciding he really wasn't that hungry, after all. He paused just long enough to lick the blood off his claws and belly before turning around and heading back to Ashley. She stared at him as he approached, then glanced at the mangled bird's corpse. Flare looked up at her expectantly, and she looked him the eyes. Something inside of her twisted, something she didn't even know was there. She realized she had to make a decision, but she didn't even know what the question was. So she did the only thing that felt right at that moment.

Reaching down, she patted him on the head and said, "Good boy."


End file.
